The present invention relates to locking devices for printing presses.
In the past, blankets, such as for offset lithography, have been used on blanket cylinders for printing a document, such as a newspaper. Typically, the blanket cylinder has been provided with a slot to receive leading and trailing edges of the blanket. It has been found that some difficulty may be encountered in securing the edges of the blanket in the slots. Prior devices which have been used for this purpose have been unduly complex and complicated in their use, and may require the use of special tools for securement or locking in an environment where the tools may be accidentally dropped into the press, thus causing damage to the press. In addition, in the past, the blankets have formed a gap, such as 0.25" to 0.375" in the region of the blanket ends which are secured to the cylinder. Such relatively wide gaps may inhibit high press speeds, or may cause a print streak or slur, and also may cause noisiness of the press during operation. In addition, the prior devices may limit the effective width of the press.